ADVENT, a time of anticipation, of waiting with hope

December 4, 2024

ADVENT, a time of anticipation, of waiting with hope. Christmas is a busy time, but we are also forced to slow down by Advent traditions of singing hymns and Scripture meditation. We try to incorporate these spiritual elements in our daily lives, but Advent beckons our hearts in a special way with so many beautiful traditions. Together with Emmanuel we are examining the visits of the angels, the importance of every character in the Christmas narrative, and their receptiveness to the work of God in their lives. Like the anticipation of gazing on the face of a long-awaited baby, we wait for an opportunity to meet the Christ child. This is prophetic of the second coming of Jesus also.

“O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;

Come and behold him born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.”

Let us wait with expectation and purpose in our daily lives, this Advent, but all year long.

Soccer Lessons

Emmanuel has been taking individualized soccer lessons with a local man who knows the game and is good at teaching it. It has been very encouraging to watch them. In a funny way, I am learning lots of life lessons as I listen to his feedback. “Keep your eye on the ball! Look up!” “Fast feet, keep moving!” ”Anticipate what is coming next (the pass)!” “Look for the pass.” Sometimes I think we don’t have our head in the game of life and we need a reminder to keep our eyes on the goal. Keep moving forward, don’t get discouraged or let your guard down. It’s not to say that every moment of life has the intensity of a soccer game…sometimes it is like a solo walk in the woods. But we are meant to keep moving, to keep pursuing what is important. Make small attenable goals and keep them. We are meant to live with intention and make the most of every moment-Carpe Diem. But the Bible goes a step further as to WHY we should seize the day. It says in Ephesians 5: 15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Cross-Cultural Humor

Sometimes I forget to share the everyday moments that bring a smile to my face. Maybe it is a sign that we have been here for a few years already, but I think I am able to appreciate subtle local humor. Some of the Swahili gets lost on me, but the essence of what is funny in this culture I am able to “get.” A few weeks back I was preparing to discharge one of our malnutrition kids and the topic of follow-up came up. She was from an outlying rural area. I said that I wanted her to follow-up in 4 weeks. She looked at me with a smile on her face and said in all seriousness, “How will I know when 4 weeks have passed?” Everyone in the room erupted into laughter at the honesty of her question. But seriously, when you don’t have a calendar or smart watch, +/-literacy-how do you keep track of time? I have told people to collect stones or make marks on a piece of paper. This time I said, “Is there a church in your village?” She said, “Yes.” To which I replied, “Go to church for 4 weeks in a row and then come back to see me.” Again more laughter and smiles. Everyone seemed in agreement that this was a workable plan. The next day then as she was packing up her things to walk home, everyone applauded as she left with big smiles all around. I said, “See you in 4 weeks!”

There is joy and humor in the subtleties of life!

Our PetsThere is a lot of drama at our house everyday, mostly between the dogs, cats, parrot, and bunnies. The cats tease the dogs, the dogs chase the cats (and anything that moves), the parrot thinks he is “BIG stuff” and tries to nip the dog on the nose…and we have to keep the male rabbits far from each other or they fight mercilessly. Each animal needs their own personal space in which to live peacefully! I am not sure if all dogs have such a strong prey drive or just ours? It seems like animals in the US are somewhat more domesticated than out here in central Africa. Now if you mix in the arrival of a wild animal (or a bunch of ants) and our animals go crazy. Today a forest cobra upset the apple cart when it came for a visit! Shortly after its' arrival, it met its' demise. Let’s hope the dogs don’t get mix with any cobras!

Warren is always busy with projects around the house which everyone appreciates. He made (with a little help from me) some beautifully engraved chairs with the first part of Psalm 121 on them. This Psalm has always been a theme verse for us out here, so it was a natural choice! We put the beginning part on one chair and the continuation on the other. Perhaps it will become a conversation piece in our house-pictures to follow.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Blessings on your Advent,

Lindsey for us

Prayer Requests

-Pray for leadership of our hospital as they negotiate staffing challenges. Pray for the right handling of a recent situation at the hospital that involved theft of some surgical instruments.

-Pray for security of our region. At the holiday times, theft can become a problem.

-Pray for a young woman we know who is struggling with a personal issue.

-Pray that people would desire to know the Lord and love their neighbors.

-Pray for Emmanuel to feel encouraged in his soccer, studies and friendships.

-Pray for a documentary film project in the works, that it will come together and bring honor to God. We are excited for what this will become.